Pearl called Monday.
"Can you take me to pick up my computer?"
"Sure. Did Marge call Heidi and get the password thingy figured out?"
"No! Marge is being snippy right now. I just want my computer back so I can play my games on Face Book."
"Okay. I gotta go potty and then I will be right up."
Back home, I managed to get the computer into the house and onto Pearl's office chair so we could wheel it down the narrow hallway to her bedroom.
I sat back and let her plug all the wires in. She had used bread bag clips to label each wire. Of course, the ink had smeared on them and she could read none. I told her, "Each wire has a color on it and you just plug it in to the corresponding colored hole on the back of the computer."
She was holding the last wire and looking at it. "Oh. I know," she said. "This one goes into a USB port." and she plugged it in.
She did a great job and the computer fired up quickly. She liked that.
She then clicked on the Face Book icon and her login came up. There was her e-mail address. YAY. The little box for her password was empty.
"What do I do now?"
"Type in your Face Book password."
"I don't know it."
"Well...let me think. When I set you up for Face Book, we used "tiger09" as your password. The same one you have on your on-line banking account."
She typed in "tiger09".
Incorrect password.
"Now what?" she said.
"I don't know. That's the only password I know of you having."
"Marge changed it, I think. I guess I'll have to get her to come over here and figure it out."
"Guess so. She's the only one that knows it. When she gets here, I want you to write down the password...on Face Book, on your bank, on your g-mail--which is your e-mail account now."
"Okay."
"I suggest you use a simple one that you will never forget. Use the same one on all your accounts that call for a password."
"Like what?"
"Oh...like your name and birth date. pearleo3136."
"Oh..yeah...that's a good one.I'd never forget that"
"We hope not!"
===========================
It is now Wednesday evening. Marge has yet to show up. So Pearl has her nice, cleaned up, fast running computer, but no way to use it.
Breaks my heart!!!
I hope that Marge calls in by the time you write your next post. Jx
ReplyDeleteI know it's not the safest thing to do but I keep a booklet by my computer that I list my passwords in. I do know that's safer than using the same password for all your accounts. If someone hacks a place like Facebook or g-mail, they will try all the banks in the area where you live. Banks and Facebook should never, ever share a password. And using your birthday in a password isn't safe either.Too easily found in the public domain. I hate passwords! Sounds like Marge is being passive aggressive with both you and her mother. How sad!
ReplyDeleteI always have a different and complicated password for the bank or any account involved with financial matters. Poor Pearl. A password manager/generator is an option. I hope her daughter decides to give her the password soon.
ReplyDeleteMakes me sad also, Judy. :(
ReplyDeleteGod bless you for trying so hard to help Pearl and Merle.
I never do banking online, nope and never will. I do pay a few bills that way though.-